This design was so adept and subtle
that it was almost invisible to the audience, yet portrayed both atmosphere
and time shifts with true dexterity and a feel for lighting that is truly
commendable. The other element to this award is that they accomplished this
in a limited facility and did it so well that I thought they used far more
instruments than they actually did.
The set, designed
and decorated in this production, became almost another character in the
performance. It was a visually delightful rendition of renaissance Italy
with a fine color palette of earth tones and terra cotta, superb employment
of multiple levels for acting areas, and a simply stunning use of sepia
da Vinci sketches littering the deck. Despite its apparent complexity, this
set receded beautifully when the actors began to work upon it. Truly it
was a magnificent design that anyone who saw will certainly remember
Superb detailed work on period, place and character.
Within a muted palette of grays, tans and beiges this fine design indicated
clear delineation among the characters in the play while simultaneously
offering detailed period work and a true sense of the tenement class in
Dublin. Slightly frayed sleeves, scuffed authentic boots, and attention
to things like small patches showing the inability of these people to ever
purchase anything new gave a real sense of immersion.
An emotive, atmospheric and at
times ironic sound design which was absolutely integral to the production
both from the point of view of effects and atmosphere made this a clear
candidate for best sound. But most important were the choices of music,
sometimes controversial, though always effective to create a compelling
"Hitchcockian" feel of both mystery and suspense.
An actor who truly
inhabited the role, this individual's vocal work was very strong, and more
significantly his physicality rang so true that you couldn't really see
anything of the actor, but only the character. He was able to transport
the audience into the reality of this unusual, dangerous and precarious
man. His acting was a tightrope walk veering the character from gentle to
murderous, and we in the audience never knew which way things would turn.
Her work as the peasant mother
of the illegitimate Leonardo was both convincing and at times heart rending.
Throughout the performance her presence offered a real sense of a woman
overcoming victimization to arrive at the realization that, for the good
of her child, she must give him up. Her final lines as she does so were
so perfectly delivered that the audience was offered not only a sense of
Caterina's loss, but of her nobility as well. It was a moving moment of
theatre.
This delicate, warm and wide ranging
portrayal was convincing and inviting right from the top. His adroit aging
of the character, at times within a few seconds, was both superb acting
and magnetic in its attraction. As the narrator and lead character this
actor was seldom offstage. The subtle softness of his characterization was
simply superb.
With an incredibly deep, brash
and at times stunning performance, this actresses' work was, to put it mildly,
chilling. Her off beat and compelling approach to interpreting the character
was a brave and exceptional choice. And she truly inhabited the character:
from the drunken seductress to the flailing emotional invalid, the role
of Martha made you squirm in your seat.
Seldom does one witness a director's
vision of a play performed with such attention to detail, strong pacing,
and so much skill that the director has actually improved upon the script.
That happened with this production and this director's vision of the play
made it more a Hitchcockian thriller than a Steven King horror story. The
entire production was so tightly woven that it was apparent from the beginning
that a talented director was at the helm.
This delicate, subtle and always
moving production of a very complex script contained immense challenges
to actors, the director and technicians. The characters in this performance
were so compelling and so realistically drawn that the audience couldn't
help but empathize with each of them. The company has produced a piece that
works so well on so many levels I can't think of a better candidate for
Best Presentation.
Robert Bray (Construction
Co-ordinator) & Jo Ann Warren (Set Decor)
Proof
The Curtain Club
(Drama Adjudicator Awards
sponsored by Blackhorse Village Players)
Drama Adjudicator Comments:
The decision to employ a realistic
box set can be a precarious one. Once you've decided upon the 'real', if
anything rings at all false in the work the entire verisimilitude falls
apart. This set's incredible attention to detail, superb paint work and
what had to have been hours and hours of painstaking consideration was so
impressive I felt it deserved mention through an award. I'm only sorry I
missed the rat under the porch.
Drama Adjudicator Award 2
Stage Management
Ben Sanford
The Plough &
The Stars
Toronto Irish
Players
Drama Adjudicator Comments:
This young man, who stepped into
the regular Stage Manager's shoes and with one rehearsal and one shadowed
show call, ran what I considered to be a near flawless performance of the
play. I also overheard actors and technicians congratulating him on his
work so I feel confirmed in my notion that Ben volunteered for a very difficult
and stressful job, and pulled it off with skill and aplomb.
In a role that could easily have descended
into caricature, this actor brought a sense of innocence and dignity to
the character of a boy who has been sheltered his entire life. The carefully
considered moments of this character's evolution to a young man of independence
were truly examples of exceptional acting, and the fact that this is his
first time on a stage in eight years since high school made his achievement
even more special.
Rarely does one
witness an entire cast that was cast so well. Indeed, each of the actors
in this production: Graeme Powell, Paul Chiusolo and Bill Walker, so completely
inhabited their characters that at times it felt as if we in the audience
were simply voyeurs observing the lives of these people. The actors work
together was so nuanced, and so seamless, that it was impossible to select
any one of them as more accomplished than the others. So I solved the problem
as I believe it should be, all of these gentlemen, and their director, Vivian
Lee, deserve congratulations for their accomplished work.